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“Bringing Your Community Together to Bring Our Veterans Home”
Rural Clergy Webinar
Chaplain Steve Sullivan Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
Director, VA/Clergy Partnership for Rural Veterans VA South Central MIRECC
Importance of Communities for Reintegration
Congregation as Community and Partner
Lessons Learned from VA/Clergy Partnership
Ideas for You and Your Community!
Topics Overview
“When I came home from war to my church, I was either treated as a Hero, or a
Monster. I’m not either of those.”
“Our goal is not to reintegrate Veterans to the VA but to their
community”
Reintegration to What?
Warriors come
FROM and RETURN TO the Community
Why are Communities important to Reintegration?
“If we send ‘em, we must mend ‘em”
Wendell Berry
What did we do before we had a VA?
Who is in our audience today?
A. Community clergy
B. Chaplains
C. Lay persons in faith community
D. Health care providers
E. Veterans
Poll Question
Congregation as Community
“Community” of believers
Congregation has “history” with Veteran
Congregation shares common values
Faith communities are intergenerational
Congregation as Community of Reintegration
Congregations as Community Partners
Sponsored by VA Office of Rural Health through:
South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
VA/Clergy Partnership (VCP) for Rural Veterans
Why?
Train pastors as “first responders” to Vets
Build partnerships with churches, MH and community resources for collaboration
Form an ongoing community “hub” of support
Get Rural Veterans and families the access to care and support that they need.
What?
• El Dorado - “Project SOUTH” (2009)
• Russellville - “Pew and Couch” (2010)
• Pine Bluff - “VIP-VETS” (2011)
• Searcy - “White County Clergy Partnership”(2012)
• Jonesboro/Mountain Home (2013)
Arkansas:
Muskogee, Louisville, Walla Walla, Maine, Prescott AZ, Reno?(2014)
Where?
What do you think are the greatest needs of Veterans in your community?
A. More jobs for Veterans
B. Family support
C. Easier access to mental health/VA
D. Greater community awareness/concern
E. Homelessness
Poll Question
Ministerial Alliances/Interfaith
Organizations
Church Denominations &
Associations
Community Mental Health Providers
Schools
Businesses Community Foundations
Go
od
Co
mm
un
ity
Part
ner
s
VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics
(CBOCs)
Dept. of Defense Family Support
Services
Veteran Service Organizations
Veteran Service Officers
Good Military/Veteran Partners
“The Couch”
Vs.
“The Pew”
Pew and Couch Lunches
Pew Couch Pastor Clinician
Trust Confidentiality
Sin illness
Faith Evidence-based practice
Healing Coping
Different language and perspectives
“Psyche” = “soul” in New Testament
Common Goals
Community
Conditions
Commonalities
Pew and Couch want to collaborate!
Afraid they have different belief system
They don’t know each other
They don’t understand what each other does
• e.g. “prayer only” vs. “medicate only”
They don’t know how to collaborate
Barriers to Overcome
Mental Health Referrals for Veterans
What Congregations and Communities are doing to Reintegrate Veterans
Breakfast for Troops on Drill Weekend
Serve meal for troops on drill weekend
Adopt a Veteran family
Host Veteran’s Day breakfast/lunch
Do service projects for or with Vets/families
Use of worship for reintegration
Ideas for Congregations:
Ideas for Communities
Stuff that’s worked
• Building relationships for referring Vets
• Veterans “Benefits Fair” or panel discussion
• “Yellow-Out” for High School football
• Military kids camps/literacy programs
• Veteran Workout at local gym
More stuff that’s worked
• Veteran family Rodeo, archery, bowling
• Student Veteran Project and mentorship
• Hospice Partnership
• Educating community on “Invisible Wounds of War”- churches, senior adults, denominations/associations, MH providers, Rotary club
What ideas might work best in your community? A. Partnering with local schools
B. Provide breakfast for local armory
C. “Pew and Couch” lunches to collaborate
D. Veteran resource fairs
E. Educating community on Veteran issues and “invisible wounds of war”
Poll Question
Results of Community Partnership
Lessons Learned from VCP
#1 Building Relationships
#2 Bringing Everyone to the Table
#3 Small things are more meaningful than big things
#4 Getting and maintaining pastor involvement
# 5 Finding the Veterans that need help
Community Partnerships- Not your
father’s VA model
Now it’s your turn!
Questions? What do ya’ll think?
Rural Clergy Training Website
www.ruralhealth.va.gov/ruralclergytraining